Fare Free: Ulster County Area Transit Free Rides Begin October 1st

All of us have been feeling the impact of the increasing cost of just about everything these days.  From our grocery bills doubling over the past few months, electric costs through the roof, and even though on the decline lately, gas prices being outrageous for the better part of the past six months - it is certainly taking a toll on our wallets.

If you are a user of UCAT, Ulster County Area Transit, or might consider using this as a source of transportation, you will be very excited to hear what is happening beginning October 1st.

UCAT To Provide Service At No Cost To Riders

As we enter the month of October on Saturday, we also enter a new era of improving transit mobility in Ulster County with UCAT transportation service running at no service to riders, yes which means free rides begin on Saturday 10/1/2022.

UCAT busses run regularly throughout Ulster County, and even into Poughkeepsie via the Ulster Poughkeepsie Link to the Train Station.  Busses run Monday - Friday 5 am to 11 pm, Saturdays 7 am to 7 pm, and Sundays 8 am to 7 pm.  Full schedules and specific route information can be found here.  There's also a UCAT app that can be downloaded for easy scheduling.

How Did Free Bus Fares Happen in Ulster County?

Although, like almost every other industry worldwide, transportation is also facing labor shortages, the hope was to be able to alleviate some costs for riders, even dating back to January of 2020, free bus transportation was expanded. More recently, back in mid-August, Ulster County Legislature collected a 16-7 vote in favor of the free bus fares for UCAT riders.

It was reported that the loss in revenue from bus fares will be made up via the surplus fund balance from general taxpayer money.

Need a guide to how Ulster County Area Transit works, we've got you covered here.